Team 8 had just returned to Konoha when they were summoned by the Anbu.
Kakashi, who had only just taken on the mantle of Hokage, felt like his head was on the verge of bursting.
He wasn't prepared at all; being thrust into this position was more sudden than anything he had expected — Jiraiya's warning, in retrospect, couldn't really be called preparation at all.
But readiness wasn't the only issue.
It was an especially thorny time.
Negotiating reparations with Sunagakure, dealing with covert probes from Kumogakure and Iwagakure, and now facing pressure from Kirigakure, who were demanding the return of Zabuza Momochi and the Ice Release user by his side.
All these issues fell onto his shoulders.
War could break out if he made one wrong move, and the consequences would be dire.
The only silver lining was that the village was still stable internally.
Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin, staunchly supported him.
Some of the Jonin were not too fond of Kakashi, but with Shikaku Nara holding sway, there were no open objections to his authority.
Even the senior advisors, despite their reluctance, had to accept the situation despite their reservations.
And yet, of all times, this was when something had to happen.
Something stirring up trouble within the Land of Fire.
Kakashi requested Team 8's presence, hoping they'd bring some useful intelligence.
There was indeed good news, but unfortunately, it involved Naruto once again.
"What's troubling you?" Koharu Utatane asked, walking over and observing Kakashi.
Kakashi showed her Team 8's report.
Unflinchingly, Koharu said, "What's so difficult about this?"
"We'll report to the Daimyō that Konoha Shinobi encountered and eliminated unapproved entry by enemy ninjas of another nation into the Land of Fire."
"We can also seize this chance to request funding under the guise of environmental rehabilitation."
Kakashi looked at her with surprise.
"Is there a problem?" she inquired.
Kakashi let out a bitter smile.
"This is a serious issue!"
"Can we still consider Naruto a ninja of the Leaf? And we haven't even identified the ninja who was killed, yet we're hastily labeling him as a ninja from an enemy nation?"
"And what's with the budget application!"
"You are the Hokage now, correct your mindset." Koharu Utatane's tone was stern. "Think from the perspective of the village, not just as the leader of Team 7's jonin instructor!"
Kakashi nodded, agreeing reluctantly.
Is this the life of the Hokage?
The position he admired as a youth, the one his close friend aspired to become.
So this is what it truly is like.
Konoha, Third Training Ground.
Sasuke was training alone, quickly becoming drenched in sweat.
Sakura Haruno approached him. "Sasuke, Hinata said they encountered Naruto on their mission."
Sasuke did not stop his training.
"They said Naruto fought against a very strong ninja," Sakura continued, "and the battle changed the entire forest terrain."
Sasuke paused for a moment.
But in the next instant, he forcefully threw two shurikens in his hand.
Such power, they pierced through the target.
The crimson in his eyes intensified, the patterns on his left eye spun—the Sharingan in its 'Three Tomoe' form, while his right eye still had 'Two Tomoe', though faint shadow of the third pattern was beginning to take shape.
"Is that so?" Sasuke said quietly, "Naruto is getting stronger and stronger."
His thoughts, however, were not on that blond boy.
Despite all the time that had passed.
Uchiha Itachi's voice still lingered by his ear, hauntingly clear.
"Kill your best friend."
Even if he really had to follow his advice, wouldn't it be better to just use the power to kill Uchiha Itachi rather than Naruto?
"Sasuke, how about taking a break?" Sakura Haruno asked worriedly, "You've been training all day."
She was very concerned about Sasuke's condition.
He had just been released from the hospital, only to throw himself immediately into training.
From dawn till dusk every day, he hardly allowed himself any rest.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Sasuke firmly shook his head, "No, it's still not enough."
"No matter who I want to catch up to, it's still not enough."
Replenishing some fluids and wiping the sweat off his forehead, he continued to train.
His determination was only strengthened with every jutsu he performed.
He would not listen to that man! He had to become stronger his own way.
Naruto and Karin left the village of the Sound, crossing over the border as they returned to the Land of Fire.
"Where do we go next?" Karin inquired.
They had gathered plenty of valuable information from Orochimaru.
"Let's stick to the original plan," Naruto pondered, "Let's continue checking out the shrines in the Land of Fire."
Karin nodded in agreement.
The shrines within the Land of Fire were far more numerous than they expected; sometimes a single town could have five or six shrines or temples.
Rumors said that deep in the mountains or valleys, there might exist great monsters or even divine spirits, further slowing their pace.
But the world seen by ordinary people was vastly different from that seen by a "ninja."
Most of those so-called "monsters" or "divine spirits" were just beasts that had mastered chakra, with their powerful abilities or nascent intelligence leading humans to bestow upon them the name "divine spirits." These were far from the true divine spirits Naruto was hoping to find.
Even so, they did find some traces of where divine spirits might once have been.
But over time, almost all evidence had eroded away, with only stories passed down orally to testify.
The temple in the capital of the Land of Fire was the most interesting place they had visited.
The temple stood with a grandeur that set it apart from other shrines, majestic and towering with a solemn aura.
The bronze doors rose nearly three meters high, flanked by statues of the mighty King, even taller than the doors themselves.
Yet, unlike the roadside shrines with constant offerings, this place was desolate.
Naruto wanted to pay a visit but was stopped by the monks inside; only with permission from the daimyo would they allow entry for worship.
That night, Naruto and Karin slipped in unnoticed.
There wasn't much of interest inside.
For shrines frequently visited by people, there were no deities present, let alone in an almost abandoned temple like this.
On the border of the Land of Fire stood a small seaside town.
It marked the endpoint of Naruto and Karin's journey, and the start of another.
At the docks, the two of them sat on a tourist bench, waiting for the ferry.
Karin thumbed through some inscriptions she had just acquired from the town's shrine. "There doesn't seem to be any reliable information here either."
More than half a year had passed.
Their gains amounted to a heap of dubious intel.
"How many so-called gods have we encountered?" She stowed the scroll, counting on her fingers. "Not counting those we've debunked, about thirty-seven or thirty-eight?"
"Thirty-seven," Naruto confirmed the number.
Ordinary people loved to venerate 'gods'.
Putting aside beasts that wielded chakra, which indeed had unique attributes, even an upright standing, benign rock, an ancient tree, or a deformed mutated livestock could be revered as a 'god'.
"Even if most are fake, we should've stumbled upon one or two real ones, right?" Karin grumbled, "Yet we haven't. Where have all those deities gone?"
Naruto shook his head without speaking, leafing through Jiraiya's letter.
Their communication over the past six months had mostly been through letters. "Akatsuki's" intelligence, learned from Orochimaru, was swiftly relayed to Jiraiya, though Naruto omitted his collaboration with Orochimaru.
Jiraiya was surprised by Naruto's ability to gather intelligence but did not inquire further.
Naruto and Karin continued their covert operations, maintaining a close watch on the Akatsuki organization. Any new information was promptly relayed to Naruto. Luckily, the organization had been unusually quiet recently.
After finishing the letter, Naruto and Karin lingered for a while longer. Soon, the sound of a ship's whistle signaled the arrival of an oceangoing cruise ship at the dock. They boarded the ship and set sail towards the Land of Water.
Once infamous for its nation's isolation, Kirigakure now reversed its former reputation, welcoming the world with open arms as the "Village of Warmth." Both ninjas and tourists alike were warmly greeted.
However, despite this openness, any ninja landing on their shores was still subject to discreet scrutiny, especially if they were widely known and powerful.
Amidst Kirigakure's Anbu operations, the current head, Ao, was engrossed in his work. Suddenly, a subordinate appeared before him in an instant. "Lord Ao!"
"It seems Naruto Uzumaki has appeared on the latest list of Kirigakure's visitors," the subordinate reported swiftly.
Ao looked up sharply. "The Naruto Uzumaki from the Land of Fire?"
The subordinate confirmed with a nod.
Ao's expression turned serious instantly. Over the past half year, they had thoroughly understood Naruto's ties with Konoha—more akin to the relationship between Tsunade and Konoha, rather than the close bond between Jiraiya and Konoha. It was ambiguous, or perhaps, more accurately, Konoha insisted on a connection with him. Consequently, within the team, they referred to him as "Naruto Uzumaki of the Land of Fire" rather than "Konoha's Naruto Uzumaki."
Why was someone so active in the Land of Fire suddenly visiting Kirigakure? What was his objective?
"You spotted him on the visitor's list?" Ao queried.
The subordinate affirmed, "Yes."
"Well, then treat them as ordinary visitors for now," Ao decided after a moment's thought. "And notify Lady Mei Terumi, ask her to approach Naruto Uzumaki."
Naruto stood at the gates of Kirigakure, an enigmatic expression on his face as he pondered his next move. The village, usually shrouded in mist and mystery, had recently adopted a more open approach to outsiders. Yet, beneath this welcoming veneer, the shinobi remained vigilant.
In the shadows, Ao, the head of Kirigakure's Anbu division, swiftly took note of Naruto's arrival. His mind raced with the implications of the Leaf Village's hero wandering their domain. Considering the strategic importance of keeping a careful eye on Naruto, Ao began to map out several contingency plans.
Meanwhile, hidden in the nearby forest, Karin watched the village intently, her senses finely attuned to any chakra anomalies. She knew the risks of being discovered but trusted Naruto's instincts as they embarked on this mission together.
(End of Chapter)